H1N1 and seasonal influenza

There is much press about the H1N1 (swine) flu this year. It is different than the seasonal flu which we see every winter approximately from January to April.

Current guidelines for the H1N1 vaccination: People under age 25, school children, pregnant women, patients with medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, immune suppression and health care workers should receive the vaccine. At this point the medical literature states it will be two doses. Medicare will pay for the vaccine.

Many people are worried that the new flu shots will be dangerous and cause severe side effects like the prior swine flu vaccine of 30 years ago. This is not the case. Current vaccines are manufactured using the newer technique that is used for the regular seasonal influenza vaccination. Serious side effects are very rare. You cannot get the flu from a flu shot because it does not contain live virus.

The reason for the big scare about H1N1 flu is that it has the capability to transform into a severe deadly pandemic like the one that killed 50 million people in 1918 which also was an H1N1 virus. These are so deadly because they are initially transmitted from animal to human and our immune systems have no established immunity to them. Thus far, the H1N1 epidemic has been relatively mild. We hope it won’t transform but there is substantial risk that it will. The best defense is vaccination. Drs. Howlin and Page are strong advocates of vaccinating to avoid devastating infections and influenza deaths in our community.

How to avoid getting the flu: Hand sanitizers and hand washing are the best means of killing the virus. Always keep your hands below your chin during the day in order to not infect yourself from secretions on surfaces. Teach children to do the same. Airborne are the main route of transport. Do not sneeze into your hand, but rather sneeze into the upper arm of your sleeve.

How is the flu diagnosed? Initially when influenza is first introduced to a community, we test using a nasal swab to confirm the clinical suspicion. Once the flu is established, we treat clinically if the patient has influenza symptoms.

Influenza symptoms: fever (usually > 101), severe aching and headache, dry raspy cough. Some patients may feel nauseous, but gastrointestinal symptoms are not the mainstay of influenza.

How is influenza treated? Anti viral medications such as Tamiflu, Relenza, rimantadine, amantadine can shorten the course of the illness by a few days. But they must be started within the first two days of symptoms.

Unfortunately there is a shortage of both flu vaccines. We thus recommend getting the flu shot when you see it available, often at a large chain pharmacy. Our office currently has no seasonal flu vaccine and a small amount of H1N1 vaccine.

WebMD’s website for more information:  http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/tc/influenza-medications

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